Northrop Grumman Wins Massive Bomber Contract

Pia Bergqvist

Thursday, October 29, 2015 at 09:09 PM ET

Verified

Photo: Northrop Grumman

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a contract valued up to $77 billion (2010 dollars) for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) and early production of a new Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B).
The LRS-B program aims to replace the Air Force's aging bomber fleet (B-2, B-52) with an aircraft capable of launching from the U.S. and striking any global target.
The contract includes a cost-reimbursable EMD phase and a production phase for up to 100 airplanes, each valued at up to $550 million.
Northrop Grumman will execute the project in Palmdale, California, at a facility where the B-2 bomber was produced, creating approximately 1,400 jobs and boosting the local aerospace industry.

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The U.S. Air Force has awarded an enormous contract to Northrop Grumman to replace its aging fleet of bombers. The contract covers the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) and early production for a new Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B), and could be worth as much as $77 billion in 2010 dollars.

The Air Force’s current fleet of bombers range in age from 17-plus years for the B-2 to 50-plus years for the B-52, an Air Force press release said. The design goal for the new LRS-B will be the capability of launching from the United States and striking “any target, any time around the globe.”